Self-cleaning stopper



Aug. 16, 1949. L. FRANK SELF-CLEANING STOPPER Filed April 24, 1946 gig/2 a mama, mmrim dti'orrgegs Patented Aug. 16, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,479,485 SELF-CLEANING STOPPER Louis Frank, New York, N. Y. Application April 24; 1946, Serial No. 664,531

12 Claims.

This invention relates to plumbing fixtures and more particularly to mechanisms for closing the .drains of tubs, basins, sinks and the like.

More particularly this invention relates to mechanisms for closing drains in which means are automatically actuated by the actuation of the closure mechanism to cut and shear any material caught in the closure mechanism or in the screen associated therewithso that this material will pass freely down the drain and not clog or choke the closure mechanism or drain.

Heretofore various closure mechanisms for drains have been proposed and at least one has suggested the use of a rotor driven by the escaping fiuid to cut and shear any material lodged in the screen or closure mechanism. All of these are subject to criticism as either expensive to manufacture, too complicated in structure or without sufficient shearing and cutting force to insure uniform action under all conditions of operation.

It is an objectof the present invention to provide a novel stopper for drains in which manual operation of the stopperwill also cut and shear any material caught in the stopperor associated screen.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel stopper for drains which will have a positive and powerful cutting action under all conditions of operation, which will be of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture and operable by untrained and inexperienced users.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and is described hereafter for the purposes of illustration only. To determine the scope of the present invention reference should e had to the appended claims.

In the several figures, in which characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. 1 is an elevation in section of one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the novel embodiment of Fig. 1 on the line 2-2; and

Fig. 3 is an expanded view of the several parts of the novel embodiment of Fig. 1 in their relative positions, 7 V l With reference to these figures, I is the bottom of a basin, tub, sink or similar vessel provided with a drain opening I I in which is mounted like reference 1 tabs I9 resulting from this form the tabs 19 from out 2 a tail pipe I2. The basin, tub, sink or similar vessel may be provided with overflow passages I3 and bottom walls I4. Tail pipe I2 may be secured in opening I! by nut I5 and washer I9 acting against flange I'I.

Tail pipe I2 is cut away at I8 to permit overfiow passages [3 to have access thereto and the operation are turned inwardly into tail pipe I2 until they all lie in the same plane and form a screen. Suitably secured to the inner ends of tabs I9 is internally threaded tubular member 20 having internal threads 2|.

If no overflow passages are to be provided or for any other reason it is not desirable to portions of tail pipe I2 it is within the scope of the present invention to suitably form tabs I 9 as a separate unitary structure carrying member 29 and to fix this unitary structure within the tail pipe [2. 7

Valve shaft 22 is mounted for rotary and reciprocal movement in tubular member 20 and is threaded at 23 to engage threads 2|. Shaft 22 is slotted at 24 to receive pin 25 which secures cutting element 26 to shaft 22. Shaft 22 is threaded at 21 to receive valve element 28.

Cutting element 25 is designed to engage tabs I9 during cutting operation to form cooperating cutting and shearing members. It comprises a hub 29 sliding on shaft 22, bored at 39 to receive pin 25. Cutting members 3| radiate in the same plane from hub 29 and terminate in circular member 32 having an outside diameter slightly v smaller than the inside diameter of tail pipe I2.

Cutting members 3! and member 32 cooperate with tabs I9 in cutting and shearing action.

' nular shoulder 36 An expansion spring 33 surrounds hub 28 and shaft 22 and presses against the under side of valve element 28 and the top of cutting members 3|. I

Valve element 28 has a vane 34 formed across its top to assist in manual rotation of element 28. Element 28 is provided with downwardly depending skirt and cutting elements 35 whose outside diameters permit a close fit in tail pipe I2. Cutting elements 35 project into openings I8 when valve element 28 is in closed position. An-

is formed about the top of valve element 28 for engagement with tail pipe against the cutting members during the greater part of the rotation of the closure member.

11. In a closure for drains, a. drain pipe, a closure member opened and closed by rotation and cutting skirts depending from said closure member for rotation in and against said drain pipe whereby when said closure member is rotated shearing action occurs between said pipe and said skirts.

12. In a, closure for drains, a drain pipe, a closure member opened and closed by rotation, cutting skirts depending from said closure member for rotation in and against said drain pipe, an internally threaded element carried by said drain pipe and a threaded shaft engaging said threaded element and secured to said closure member whereby when said closure member is rotated shearing action occurs between said pipe and said skirts.

LOUIS FRANK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

